Buyers stood in line overnight in freezing weather and emptied store shelves after the Winter Games opened
Three people in
Plush toys of
Customers standing in line included traders who bought for clients or to resell at higher prices.
“It started to be sold a long time ago but didn’t generate a buzz,” said a customer at Gongmei who would give only her surname, Zhu. “Now the media are promoting it.”
Gongmei and other shops posted signs saying they had as a few as 300 Bing Dwen Dwen dolls per day and buyers were allowed one each. Shoppers said they sold out in as little as 30 minutes.
“The secondhand market is hot,” said the newspaper
One afternoon, employees walked along a line of customers asking them not to stay overnight, when temperatures fall below freezing.
Reporters saw a trader taken away by police on
Merchants online offer unauthorized
Authorities have tried to calm frenzied buying by promising there will be adequate supplies and
Some customers complain they paid deposits for souvenirs but traders disappeared with their money, according to news reports.
“Please consume rationally and do not buy at high prices from scalpers," the
One of three companies identified by the press as being licensed to make
The organizing committee didn’t respond to questions about how many dolls it planned to sell and whether any would be exported.
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